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April 29, 2018April 29, 2018

Seth Godin’s The Dip: My Most Valuable Read Yet of 2018

Wondering what to read next? Well here’s something well worth every second of your time.

Okay. I am really, REALLY pumped about this book. I almost never finish self-improvement books, but I ate this one right up within three sittings. It is a FANTASTIC book especially for self-starters, for entrepreneurs, business owners and people who love having their own projects– picking up a sport or instrument or running for president. It has not only confirmed all the good advice I’ve been gaining about pushing through a project during the hard middle of it, it has also given me what I might say life-changing insight about probably everything in life.

What is The Dip?

The Dip is a tiny little book that proposes to teach you when to quit something and when to stick it out. And it does just that.

The Dip, according to Godin, is the really difficult middle part of a project between beginners luck and ‘accomplishment’. The part where a LOT of hard work is required. The part where, if you weren’t ready before, reality kicks in. By ‘project’, I mean businesses, sports, writing a book, building a blog etc. Like, YES! This difficult ‘middle’ is exactly what I was talking about in my blog post Staying Motivated to Blog– To All the Small Bloggers.

Godin’s argument goes like this: If you can’t be the best in your industry/market niche, then don’t do it at all. And the best are the ones who last through The Dip when no one else does. So if you don’t think you can last through The Dip, or be the VERY BEST, then don’t start at all, or quit before The Dip starts. If not, you’ll be wasting a ton of your time and energy that could be used more productively for the Dips of other projects which could take you to the top.

His arguments border on repetitive for the first bit of the book, before he gives the lists of steps to take, kinds of progress curves, when to quit and so on. Despite that, I found the repetitiveness refreshing and helpful. Before he gives actual steps for changing our reality, he aims to change our minds. And I LOVE positive mindset shifts, whether it be being more realistic about business, the way the world works or basically anything else. Growth is GREAT.

As somebody starting out on the entrepreneurial track myself, this book has helped tweak my mindset in all the right ways as well as bolstered my confidence. It is well worth every second I spent reading it. And isn’t that the best thing ever, considering the number of badly-written fiction books I have wasted my time with over the past few months.

Who Should Read The Dip?

Everyone.

But especially those I mentioned above: entrepreneurs, business owners, self-starters. Those in The Dip, those who know that The Dip is coming. And those who don’t.

However, The Dip is not only about The Dip– it’s about when and how to quit too. So others who should read it are: those with comfortable jobs/situations and those with terrible jobs/situations and are considering quitting. Those muddling in mediocrity, or too stubborn to just give up on something that’s using up their time and energy without returns.

My Favourite Quote(s) From The Dip

“Yes, you should (you must) quit a product or a feature or a design– you need to do it regularly if you’re going to grow and have the resources to invest in the right businesses. But no, you mustn’t quit a market or a strategy or a niche. The businesses we think of as overnight successes weren’t. We just didn’t notice them till they were well baked… The market wants to see you persist. It demands a signal that you’re serious, powerful, accepted, and safe. The bulk of the market, any market, is made up of those folks in the middle of the bell curve, the ones who want to buy something proven and valued… Your strategy– to be a trusted source in your chosen market– can survive even if your product is cancelled.”

Where Did I Find Out About The Dip?

Not all their episodes are relevant to my life, so I don’t religiously listen to every one on the list. But for those that are relevant, their advice is always stellar and always worth my time listening to.

What’s Next?

In the same episode, hosts Thomas and Andrew recommend another book, Essentialism by Greg McKeown. I’ve just downloaded the whole audiobook into my phone and I’m pumped to start. The book is about about cutting out all the nonessential things in your life, so that you can focus your energy on what’s truly essential. Sounds like the right kinda follow-up book for me to read. Or rather listen to.

Also, I’m going to continue pushing through my Dips, because this book has reassured me that I’m doing just the right thing.